Twilight of the Sultanate c7.s4.28

c7.s4.28

At the next halt the Amīr received the envoys whom he had sent to Sikandar Shāh of Kashmir (A. D. 1394-1417). He seems to have been quite pleased with Sikandar who was known as *but shikan* (Iconoclast) and who, according to Cunningham, had used gunpowder in destroying temples.¹⁶⁰ He was, therefore, disappointed to learn from Maulana Nūruddīn, Sikandar's envoy who had been accredited to him, that his master had come as far as the village of Jhabān in the vicinity of Jammu¹⁶¹ but on being apprised of the exorbitant demand of the Amīr's revenue officers for supplying 30,000 horses and paying 100,000 gold *tankas*,¹⁶² had returned to Srinagar in despair. Tīmūr was incensed at the demand of his officers and sent Zainuddīn with the envoy to ask Sikandar Shāh to meet him on the Indus on 25 March,¹⁶³ and himself started for Jammu where he arrived on 25 February (19 Jamadiul Ākhir). The people of Jammu were "robust, tall and powerful"¹⁶⁴ but the Raja, to avoid an unnecessary engagement, escaped into the hills. Tīmūr's men looted the grain markets of Jammu and Bao,¹⁶⁵ lying on the opposite bank of the Tawi. Tīmūr moved away four *kos*, leaving some troops to ambuscade the Raja when he came down from the mountain ranges. The Raja was attacked and taken prisoner. His wounds were carefully tended "for the sake of getting the ransom money". Later on by "hopes, fears and threats, he was also brought to see the beauty of Islam".¹⁶⁶